SERC Schoodic Series Lecture, Wed. May 30

Dr. James Gramann, from Texas A&M University, will present Kindred Spirits: Landscape Painting and America’s Natural Parks, in the Moore Auditorium on the SERC Campus in the Schoodic Section of Acadia National Park, at 7 p.m. on Wed. May 30.

This season, the SERC Institute and Acadia National Park are presenting three series of free, public lectures. The SERC Science Series will offer scientific information, data, and research findings with an emphasis on research in the park. The Schoodic Series is more general in scope, highlighting natural science, education, history, and the arts. The Special Speaker Series will vary. All will be held in Moore Auditorium on the SERC Campus  While lectures are free, donations are always appreciated.

Free Malaga Island talk at the Maine State Museum, Augusta, May 30

Maine State Museum Curator Kate McBrien will discuss the new exhibition Malaga Island, Fragmented Lives” at 6:30 p.m. on Wed., May 30, at the museum.

“The Malaga Island story is important to an understanding of racism, economics, social reform, and the role of government in the early 1900s,” McBrien says. “For nearly 100 years, Malaga Island, located at the mouth of the New Meadows River in Phippsburg, was scarcely spoken of, except negatively. When archaeologists from the University of Southern Maine began excavations on Malaga, the long-missing fragments of peoples’ lives there began to re-surface. Like the exhibition, my talk will look at those fragments, along with historical photographs and documents, to better understand the community and the forces that shaped its formation and demise.”

McBrien will include details on the individuals who lived on the island as well as what happened to them after the eviction.

Slide Lecture Highlighting Old Photos of the St. George Peninsula, Thurs., May 31

Take a trip down memory lane with Kevin Johnson, photo archivist for the Penobscot Marine Museum, when he presents a slide lecture at the St. George Grange Hall on May 31, at 7:30 p.m. Greetings from St. George: Selections from the Eastern Illustrating and Publishing Co. Collection will show images of St. George, Tenants Harbor, Martinsville, and Long Cove dating back up to 100 years. The program is sponsored by the St. George Historical Society. Admission is by donation. A pot-luck supper will precede the talk.

• Memorial Weekend Fun at Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, Freeport

Recuperate from a shopping spree at L.L. Bean or Freeport’s outlets with a nature immersion at nearby Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park. This weekend, the park has special activities each day: Osprey Watch, 2-3 p.m., Saturday May 26; Stroll with a Ranger on the wheelchair-accessible White Pines Trail, 2 p.m., Sunday, May 27; join a ranger-guided Wild Flower Walk at 2 p.m. on Monday, May 28. All activities are free with park admission ($1 ages 5-11, $3 for Maine residents ages 12-64; $4.50 for non residents ages 12 – 64; $1.50 for non residents 65 and older; kids under age five and Maine residents 65 and older are free).

• Fish Ladder Restoration Festival, Damariscotta Mills, May 26-28, 2012

Celebrate the return of the alewives and the restoration of the middle section of the fish ladder in Damariscotta Mills. Everyone gets a taste, from the eagles and ospreys swooping in to snatch a meal to visitors who can enjoy breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday, a pig roast on Saturday, chicken barbeque on Sunday, and lobster and crab rolls and even smoked alewives on Monday. Other activities include an art show, puppet show, antique cars show, horse cart rides, face painting, live music, and more; see schedule for details.

• St. Never’s Day Sale, Bethel, May 26, 2012

Never say no to the treasure possibilities at the The Bethel Historical Society’s annual St. Never’s Day Sale. Two tents will be overflowing with from-my-attic-to-your-basement finds: household goods, furniture, tools, and more. Be at the corner of Mason and Broad Streets downtown when the sale opens at 9 for the best selection.

• Oliver’s Cozy Harbor Wharf, Southport Island

There’s a new, casual eating restaurant opening today on Southport Island, on the tip of Boothbay Peninsula. Oliver’s Cozy Harbor Wharf, located in the former Pratt’s, or Gus’s, is serving a menu that includes burgers, sandwiches, crab cakes, and Round Top ice cream. Presiding over the kitchen is Chef Rick Skoglund Jr. It’s BYOB. Wed..–Mon., 11:30 a.m.—7 p.m.

• New exhibits at College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor

The Dorr Museum of Natural History, on the campus of College of the Atlantic, has opened two exhibits: Human Ecology of Weeds, by Meg Trau, and The Duck Islands: A Study of Museum Diorama Painting,  a large-scale painting of Little and Great Duck Islands, by Becca Berezuk. Both exhibits are senior projects and will remain on view through the summer. The museum is an excellent place to visit with children, as it’s very hands on with plentiful wildlife and ecology exhibits. Admission is by donation. The museum is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tues. through Sat.

Plan ahead:

• Wine Dinner at The Inns of Blackberry Common, Camden, June 1

Book a two-night package (rates begin at $419) at The Inns of Blackberry Common, in downtown Camden, and enjoy a special six-course dinner with wine pairings. The menu: spring pea and mint soup with candied ginger sour cream and fresh pea shoots; marinated red and golden beets with gorgonzola cheese, red onion, arugula, toasted walnuts, and balsamic vinaigrette; lobster risotto; blackberry granita; seared halibut with graps and a port wine reduction and fresh asparagus OR seared dry-aged filet mignon with wild mushrooms and a pan reduction and fresh asparagus; lemon goat’s cheese cheesecake with fresh wild berry sauce. Of course, the rate also includes breakfast each morning.

• Grand Opening Special at The Grand, Kennebunk

Through July 15, guests can book the Grand Debut Experience at The Grand, the newest hotel in the Kennebunkport Resort Collection. The hotel, slated to open in mid June, is located across from HB Provisions on Chase Hill, in Kennebunk’s Lower Village, just steps from Dock Square. Guest rooms are outfitted with Keurig coffee makers, Turkish bath linens, Cuddledown bedding, Waterworks bath fixtures, and iPod docking sttions. All have small private balconies, and a few have sundecks. Chicks to Go, a specialty food market, is located on the ground floor.

The Grand Debut Experience is $399 and includes two nights lodging, two signature cocktails at the nearby One Dock Restaurant, and a bag of welcome goodies and champagne. Other KRC properties include Hidden Pond Resort, home to Earth restaurant; the newly renovated Kennebunkport Inn; Cottages at Cabot Cove; Old Fort Inn & Restaurant; and Tides Beach Club, which opened in 2011.

Open House at Chapter Two, Corea, May 27,2012,  2-5 pm:Works by more than 50 local artists and artisans will be on view and refreshments will be served at this combination bookstore, gallery, studio, and workshop space. Workshops slated for 2012: Dennis Corso (stone sculpture), Dan Miller (woodblock printing) J. Fred Woell (jewelry), Pat Wheeler (painting & journaling), Betsy Thompson (book signing), Margo Klass (book making) and Sarah Doremus (book arts).

Wine Dinner, Tavern at Brunswick Station, May 31, 2012: Executive Chef Kevin Cunningham is teaming with Hugh Davies of Schramsberg Vineyards on a five-course menu; Davies will be on hand to discuss the wines. The evening begins at 6  p.m. and costs $100 per person, plus tax and gratuties.

Want to see a moose? New England Outdoor Center offers three-hour moose-spotting tours for $49 per person. Spring is a great time to view the gangly beasts. NEOC is located in Millinocket, near Baxter State Park, where moose far, far outnumber people. While there, add on a whitewater rafting trip down the Penobscot River for a thrills.

Malaga Island,Fragmented Lives: is now on view at the Maine State Museum, Augusta. The exhibition shares the controversial story of the poor, mixed-race community that lived on Malaga, a 42-acre island at the mouth of the New Meadows River in Phippsburg, Maine, through archaeological artifacts, historical photographs, objects, documents, and news stories from the time. The residents were evicted by the state in 1912. The exhibit can be seen through May 26, 2013.

Paddle for Pine Tree Camp, June 2, 2012: This annual event helps fund Pine Tree Camp, a very special, barrier-free summer camp in the Belgrade Lakes region for children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities. Camper tuition is $1,900 for a six-day session, and the camp is committed to making the experience to all, regardless of ability to pay. This event helps achieve that goal. Paddlers are asked to raise at least $100 per person. The day begins with a $5 pancake breakfast before the safety briefing and paddle, and concludes with a barbeque lunch with music.

Spring savings at Oakland House Cottages by the Sea: Take advantage of special rates and packages at Oakland House through early July. I love this old-time summer cottage colony on Eggemoggin Reach, in Brooksville (at the tip of the Blue Hill peninsula). And new this year is free Wifi throughout the seaside campus.

Spring Savings and Summer Saturday Suppers at the Blue Hill Inn: Through June 30, get three nights for the price of two at the Blue Hill Inn, in Blue Hill. And enjoy family-style, Saturday Suppers in the Garden on the third Saturday of each month, from June through September. Chef Devin Finigan is back in the kitchen. The inn is also open to the public for breakfast and dinner.

Plan Ahead: PORTopera, Maine’s only company  performing fully staged operas with nationally and internationally acclaimed artists, is staging Puccini’s Madam Butterfly, July 26-27, at Portland’s Merrill Auditorium. Tickets are available through PortTix.

New manager and chefs at the Asticou Inn, in Northeast Harbor: Mark Phillips is the new GM at the historic hotel overlooking the harbor. Steven Barck is now executive chef at Peabody’s, the hotel’s restaurant. The new menu will focus on regional New England cuisine. The restaurant is open to the public, and guests can dine inside or on the waterview porch. The Asticou is a Maine classic, a seaside hotel dating from 1883 that’s been gently updated over the decades.

The portraits themselves are interesting in a surprisingly one-dimensional way—they let us into each friend’s life, capturing friend and family in the home. It’s the comments viewers have posted on the museum’s wall (real wall, not FB wall) that add life to the exhibit. Some set out to define the word friend, others critique the works, a few add insightful comments, a handful sketched images.

After reading the comments, I returned to the images and looked at them anew, seeing them through the added dimension of these posts. And maybe that’s the lesson: Our FB friends on all levels—casual acquaintances to best friends forever—enrich our lives in ways we don’t always realize. Just interacting with them by reading occasional FB posts broadens our world.

If you’ve never visited Monhegan, it’s a Maine treasure that’s laced with hiking trails and peppered with artists’ studios. It’s a fabulous day trip, it’s even better if you stay overnight.

Jaime, son of Andrew and grandson of N.C., first visited Monhegan in the late 1950s, and early in his career purchased several pen-and-ink drawings Kent had used as sources for illustration Moby Dick. Wyeth later purchased Kent’s last home and studio on the island as well as several early 20th-century paintings by Kent.

In conjunction with the exhibit, the Farnsworth is presenting a series of lectures and talks:

• Friday, July 6, at 1 p.m., Gallery Talk with Farnsworth Chief Curator Michael K. Komanecky;

• Thursday, July 12, at 6 p.m., Wyeth Day Lecturewith N.C. Wyeth biographer David Michaelis;

• Wednesday, July 25, at 5:30 p.m., Realism and Resonance: George Bellows Paints the Urban Landscape and the Sea,with independent scholar Marianne Doezema;

• Friday, August 3, at 1 p.m., Gallery Talkwith Farnsworth Chief Curator Michael K. Komanecky;

• Tuesday, August 14, at 5:30 p.m., A Conversation with Jamie Wyeth and Chief Curator Michael K. Komanecky;

• Wednesday, September 5, at 5:30 p.m., Rockwell Kent’s Illustrations for Moby Dick, with Elizabeth Spear, Fellow in Curatorial Practice, Colby College Museum of Art.

Admission to the Farnsworth’s Rockland campus, which includes the museum, the Wyeth Center, and the Farnsworth Homestead, is $12; kids younger than 16 are free. From June 1 through Oct. 31, admission is free from 5-8 p.m. on Wednesdays and on the first Friday of the month (coinciding with Rockland’s monthly Art Walk—a don’t miss event).

Lodging at this time of year tends to be at off-season rates.

His wry humor addresses everything from cabin fever to gigunda mosquitos, seagull tactics to moose therapy. Anyone who’s spent a winter in the state will nod in agreement with his jabs at cabin fever, snowfall, and potholes. He has a special talent for anthropomorphizing lobster, moose, and gulls.

If you want to introduce someone to Maine humor, this book would make an excellent gift. If you’re looking for a easily packable souvenir, you’ve found it.

What to do in Hallowell, Maine

Shop! Water Street is lined with galleries, independent boutiques, specialty shops, and nearly a dozen antiques shops. Among the possibilities: Kennebec River Artisans, which shows and sells the wares of more than three dozen craftspeople; Harlow Gallery, headquarters for the Kennebec Valley Art Association; Brass and Friends Antiques, a bonanza for vintage lighting; and the Hallowell Antique Mall, representing 80 dealers.

Don’t miss Brahms Mount Textiles, an honest-to-goodness factory outlet, delivering significant savings on the luxurious linen and cotton blankets and throws woven on the premises using antique shuttle looms.

Explore downtown Hallowell’s architecture and history with “A Walking Tour of Hallowell, Maine” or via the 19-sign Museum in the Streets tour.

Walk or snowshoe trails lacing two preserves protected by the Kennebec River Land Trust, Vaughan Woods (intersection of Middle St. and Litchfield Rd.) and Jamies Pond Conservation Area (Jamies Pond Rd.) or mosey along the 6.5-mile Kennebec River Rail Trail from Augusta’s Waterfront Park through Hallowell to Gardiner. The nearby Maine State Museum (State House Complex, Augusta,$2 adult, $6 family) covers everything Maine in permanent and temporary exhibits.

Best bets for live music are The Wharf Tavern, Hoxter’s Sports Bar & Bistro , or Easy Street Lounge. Other possibilities are Slates or The Liberal Pint.

Where to stay in Hallowell, Maine

On a back road, 130-acre Maple Hill Farm Bed and Breakfast Inn and Conference Center is an ultra-green rural respite on a working farm adjacent to an 800-acre wildlife preserve. Two intown bed-and-breakfasts are within strolling distance of Water Street’s shops and restaurants. The Benjamin Wales House Bed And Breakfast,an 1820 Federal listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has four Maine-inspired, antiques-furnished guest rooms and a regulation pool table in the parlor. The colonial-style Second Street Bed & Breakfast has five guest rooms. Ten minutes from downtown Hallowell, the Senator Inn and Spa is a full-service hotel with restaurant, spa, and indoor pool; some rooms are pet friendly.

Where to eat in Hallowell, Maine

Despite being around for more than 25 years, Slate’s Restaurant and Bakery ($14-26) is never tiresome and always creative. It serves lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, with an emphasis on fresh and local and house-made breads, pastas, and desserts; hit the separate bakery for light fare. Cafe de Bangkok ($11-23) deserves its rep as one of Maine’s best Thai restaurants. Hungry? Head for Lucky Garden, where the all-you-can-eat buffet is $7.95 for lunch daily and $10.95 for Friday or Saturday dinner. It’s the 20-ounce pint glass, not politics, that helped christen The Liberal Cup ($6-14), a brewpub serving house-made beers and excellent pub-style fare that goes beyond the usual. Fish chowders, lobster stew, and seafood are the specialties at Hattie’s Chowder House ($7-24), but the menu has a bit of everything. Hot dogs, fries, and homemade doughnuts have been drawing fans for more than five decades to Bolley’s Famous Franks (from $2), but it also serves other comfort foods; cash only.

Frankie and Johnny’s Natural Foods, Cape Neddick

“Food that loves you back” is the slogan for Frankie and Johnny’s Natural Foods. Inside the shingled restaurant, wood floors and pine-colored walls provide the background for the Culinary Institute of America-trained chef John Shaw’s vibrant, internationally seasoned fare. Vegetarian and vegan choices are always on the menu, along with fish, seafood, and chicken options, and many dishes can be modified for the gluten-sensitive. Portions are generous, breads and pastas are made in house, and everything is cooked to order, so plan on a leisurely meal. All entrees come with a soup or salad. Bring your own booze, but leave the your credit cards behind since “plastic is not natural.” ($23-36)

Little Lad’s, Portland

It’s the addictive herbal popcorn that first wins over many customers to Little Lad’s, a no-frills vegan cafe, but it’s the affordable lunch buffet at the dineresque spot that keeps them returning. The buffet spread includes soups, salads, entrees, veggies, grains, dessert, and sandwiches, with rotating options such as lasagna, whole-wheat pastas, shepherd’s pie, “chick-in cacciatore,” “linguini and meet sauce,” [sic] and bean stroganoff. Fill your plate and bowl once for $4.99, and if by some chance you’re are still hungry, return to the buffet for $1.

Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro, Portland

The Asian-inspired fare at Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro has persuaded many carnivores that going veggie doesn’t not mean sacrificing flavor. Every menu item, including wine, is labeled as vegan, gluten free, wheat free, and/or organic. Regulars know to begin with the roti canai, an Indian flatbread paired with a curry dip. After that, favorites include char guayteow, Siamese dream curry noodle, citrus spare ribs, and tofu tikka masala. One taste, and you’ll see the light. This place is extremely popular, and it doesn’t does not take reservations.($10-16)

Silly’s, Portland

Silly’s is a treasure, a family friendly restaurant with a menu that pleases everyone. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free choices are plentiful, and Silly’s even has dedicated gluten-free and vegan fryers. Since almost everything is made in house from scratch, so the restaurant can accommodate specific allergies, sensitivities, and diets. Silly’s sources much of its fare from Maine farms and businesses and it aggressively recycles, so you can feel good about dining here. And wait until you see the menu of milk shakes (regular, soy, or rice): The ingredients are outrageous—how about a peanut butter and grape jelly shake or a Guinness Stout or maybe The Travesty, made with chai, banana, and cinnamon? And the decor? Retro refined, with Formica tables and red vinyl and metal chairs, tin ceiling, and walls lined with photos of customers displaying Silly’s bumper stickers in far-flung locations.($7-15)

Pepperclub, Portland

The Pepperclub is a long-timer, when it comes to Portland restaurants, and it was one of, if not the first, to serve vegan and vegetarian fare. The internationally flavored menu changes frequently and might include entrees such as North African stuffed peppers or Caribbean shrimp cakes, but there always are vegetarian and vegan specials, as well as local and organic meats and seafood. ($12-18)

Corsican Restaurant, Freeport

Since opening on a side street a block away from L.L. Bean’s mothership in back in 1986, the unfussy Corsican Restaurant  has wooed vegetarians and families with hearty salads and pizzas, vegetable stroganoff, pesto pasta, and easy-on-the-budget favorites such as the lentil burger and Pedro’s burrito with avocado. If you’re craving a taste of Maine, start with a chowder and end with the blueberry crumb pie. Kids’ veggie Children’s vegetarian choices include PB&J, a veggie and cheese sandwich, and a veggie cracker plate. ($9-18)

She Doesn’t Like Guthries, Lewiston

Eco-conscious, budget-bound urban bohemians: She Doesn’t Like Guthries is your happy place. Heather and Randy Letourneau’s Maine-certified green restaurant pairs healthful fare, including veggie, vegan, and wheat-free choices, with local art and eclectic music. Feast on wheat-free fiesta bowls, wheat-free tacos, veggie and vegan burritos, BBQ smoked tofu quesadillas, hearty soups, serious salads, and veggie-rich paninis. Now add frequent live jazz or bluegrass. ($6-10)

Salt Bay Cafe, Damariscotta

No matter when hunger strikes or what your dietary preference, the has you covered. This comfy, casual intown spot has been a local favorite for more than a quarter century, yet its menu never gets tiresome — perhaps because it’s so broad. In addition to the main menu, there are separate menus for vegetarians/vegans and kids, each with dishes for all appetites. Craving a lighter meal? Opt for a sandwich or salad. Famished? Try the Greek pasta, the char-grilled vegetable plate, or the Caribbean bean cakes. All entrees come with a soup or salad. Salt Bay serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, except Easter and Christmas. ($8-24)

Chase’s Daily, Belfast

Even the culinary poobahs at the James Beard Foundation have discovered Chase’s Daily  which has twice been nominated for Best Chef Northeast. The daily changing menu is built upon seasonal fresh vegetarian fare, with much of it sourced from the Chase family’s farm in nearby Freedom. It’s a restaurant, but it’s also an art gallery, bakery, and farmers’ market. (Enjoy ed those salad greens or peas? You might be able to take some home.). Breakfast and lunch are served daily except Monday; alas, dinner is served only on Friday nights. ($15-22).

Riverside Cafe, Ellsworth

Despite changes in ownership and location, the no-longer-riverside Riverside Cafe  remains an extremely popular downtown restaurant among both locals and those passing through en route to Mount Desert Island or farther Down East. Breakfast is served until 2 p.m., and the vegetarian sections of the breakfast and lunch menus include choices such as veggie bBenedict, vegan French toast, veggie burger, and homemade quiche. Pair it with a fresh fruit smoothie, and you’re good to go. Dinner is served on Friday and Saturday evenings, and veggie choices might include eggplant parmesan and pastas. ($7-11)

Eden Vegetarian Cafe, Bar Harbor

Eden Vegetarian Cafe,could turn even the most committed cowboy into a veggie-eating happy hipster. This seasonal restaurant has been earning raves since Mark and Lynn Rampacek opened it on West Street in 2003. The menu, which changes daily, gives a vibrant, internationally flavored twist to seasonal ingredients, most of which are organic and whenever possible sourced on Mount Desert Island. The Eden bento box is a menu stalwart, but other appetizers and entrees might include a Persian tomato tartlet, split pea soup with house-made smoked seitan sausage, French country tempeh, coconut crimson lentil dahl, or spicy jungle noodles. Don’t miss the iced hibiscus tea or the organic bog jooce, made with cranberry juice sweetened with maple syrup. ( $16-21) See my review.

Taste of Eden Vegan Cafe, Norway

Michael and Sonya Tardiff, owners of Taste of Eden Vegan Cafe believe a plant-based diet can get rid of many illnesses, and their pleasant cafe doubles as a source for vegan groceries and information. Daily specials, including chickpea Alfredo, vegetable potpie, and harvest nut roast, augment the homemade soups, salads, and sandwiches. Gluten-free and other dietary restrictions usually can be accommodated. ($4-8)

Painting by Sarah Sockbeson, member of Maine's Penobscot nation; courtesy of the Abbe Museum, Bar Harbor, Maine, which benefits from proceeds from the 2012 Spring Garden Tour at WatersEdge.

Here’s a spring treat for garden lovers. In past years WatersEdge, the waterfront W. P. Stewart estate in Northeast Harbor, Maine, has opened its gates to the public in on two weekends to showcase more than 45,000 flowering spring bulbs. Not this year. The 2012 Spring Garden Tour will focus on the estate’s spectacular perennials; with gates open June 2 and 9, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Visitors will be able to wander  designated paths on eight acres edging Somes Sound. Among the highlights: lilacs, vibernum, dogwoods, 95 varieties of azalea, 125 rhododendrons, tree peonies, magnolia, peonies, poppies, iris, English daisies, violets as well as a variety of tulips, daffodils and narcissus. Also open is the Sundial Garden, a sunken alpine garden harboring an unusual collection of plants.

It’s a rare opportunity to visit one of Mount Desert Island’s estates. The $15 suggested donation will benefit the Abbe Museum.